Neil Young Has New Spider Species Named After Him

Neil Young has had a newly discovered species of trapdoor spider named after him, reports Reuters news agency in Los Angeles today (May 12).

East Carolina University biologist, Jason Bond who discovered the spider in Jefferson County, Alabama, and being a fan of Young, decided to name the arachnid ‘Myrmekiaphila neilyoungi’.

In a statement, Bond said: “There are rather strict rules about how you name new species.”

He added: “As long as these rules are followed you can give a new species just about any name you please. With regards to Neil Young, I really enjoy his music and have had a great appreciation of him as an activist for peace and justice.”

Bond discovered the new spider species in 2007 and has now “confirmed through the spider’s DNA that the ‘Myrmekiaphila neilyoungi’ is an identifiable, separate species of spider within the trapdoor genus.”

To see the Newsdaily report and to see an image of the spider, click here.